Having Less Than Refreshing Sleep? Up Your Sleep Hygiene!

Nearly all humans need between 6-8.5 hours of daily renewing and restorative sleep, on average (see below links for reference). Many people suffer from dysomnia (commonly known as insomnia), which is the lack of restful sleep in either quantity or quality or both. Dysomnia is a common cause of numerous health conditions and challenges, such as depression, obesity, and chronic pain. When one’s sleep quality is enhanced, these conditions will often lessen or sometimes fully diminish.

Sleep hygiene is a clinical term used to describe a matrix of lifestyle choices, behavioral actions, diet, exercise, and attitudes that together generate regular, renewing sleep. Transforming one’s life into one in which a high level of sleep hygiene is practiced as a fundamental wellness method has both immediate and sustained health benefits.

A recent New York Times article delineates how good sleep hygiene can be practiced:

• Getting daytime exercise and light exposure.
• Avoiding daytime naps.
• Relaxing in the evening.
• Avoiding caffeine and nicotine.
• Not going to bed hungry, but avoiding large meals before sleep.
• Dimming the lights an hour before bed.
• Sleeping in a temperature of about 68 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Avoiding clock watching during the night.

Additional information on how to can transform poor quality sleeping into healthy,renewing, and even invigorating sleep may be found at the National Sleep Foundation, University of Maryland Medical Center’s Sleep Disorders Center, and at Helpguide.org’s Tips for Getting Better Sleep: How to Sleep Well Every Night.

As always, changing behaviors that are ingrained takes commitment, persistence, and an incremental approach: start with a small change and make it a regular part of your daily life, then add another.

Repeat until body-mind-spirit is shiny with bright wellness. @DoctorJames